Chapter 3

Emily Collins POV:

The quiet hum of the empty house pressed in on me, a constant reminder of his absence. Cole was gone. Truly gone. His scent, the lingering aroma of rosemary and garlic, had faded from the kitchen. Buddy, our golden retriever, wandered aimlessly, his tail no longer wagging with the same enthusiasm. He missed Cole too. We all did, in our own way.

I walked through the silent rooms, my footsteps echoing on the polished floors. This grand house, once filled with his warmth, now felt like a mausoleum. My mausoleum. I started to pack, a feverish attempt to fill the void. Not for anything specific, just to do something, anything, that felt productive.

I walked past the kitchen, still scarred from that night. The memory of his crumpled form, his desperate plea, still haunted my nightmares. I had dismissed it, dismissed him. Because Bryant. Always Bryant.

I remembered the clothes I used to buy, the ones that mimicked Bryant's style, hoping to please Cole. Now, they lay in a heap, destined for donation. I was stripping away the layers of pretense, of the woman I thought I needed to be to keep him. But it was too late. I was shedding the skin of a past self, a self I barely recognized.

The front door creaked open.

My heart leaped, a foolish, desperate hope.

Then, I saw him. Bryant. He walked in, as if he owned the place, a cocky smirk on his face. And there, beside him, was Buddy, wagging his tail furiously.

"Hey, Em! Guess who's back?" Bryant announced, his voice too loud for the silence of the house.

My stomach churned. "What are you doing here, Bryant?"

He shrugged, dropping his designer bag on the pristine rug. "Cole called me. Said he was leaving, and someone needed to look after you." He glanced around, taking in the emptiness. "Looks like you could use the company."

My hands clenched. The audacity. The sheer, unmitigated gall.

"Cole wouldn't call you," I said, my voice tight.

"Oh, he did. He was practically begging me to make sure you didn't starve without a chef." He winked, a gesture that used to charm me, now filled me with disgust.

The raw wound of Cole's departure twisted. He had truly cut me out, replaced me, even with Bryant. The irony was a bitter pill to swallow.

Buddy, ever the loyal companion, nudged Bryant's hand, seeking attention. Bryant chuckled, ruffling his fur. "Good boy, Buddy. At least someone appreciates me." He shot me a smug look. "Maybe I'll stay for a while. You know, for old times' sake."

"You are not staying here," I said, my voice low and dangerous.

"Oh? And who's going to stop me? Your devoted husband isn't here anymore, is he?" He sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. "Besides, I'm doing you a favor. You look terrible, Em. You need someone to cheer you up."

I stared at him, a cold fury building inside me. This was the man I had prioritized over Cole. This manipulative, self-serving parasite. The man who had almost cost Cole his life.

"Get out, Bryant," I said, my voice barely a whisper, but vibrating with a steel coldness that made him flinch.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was Sarah.

"Ms. Collins, I need to discuss the new acquisition. It's urgent."

I closed my eyes, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. I wanted to scream, to smash something, anything to release the pressure building inside me. But I was Emily Collins, CEO. I had to maintain control.

"I'll be there," I told Sarah, then hung up.

Bryant watched me, a smirk returning to his face. "Duty calls, huh? Don't worry, I'll make myself at home. Buddy and I will be just fine."

I looked at him, then at Buddy, then at the empty house. A strange thought struck me. This was what Cole must have felt like, all those years. Surrounded by my indifference, my misplaced loyalties.

"Fine," I said, the word a bitter taste in my mouth. "Stay. Just don't touch anything."

I walked away, my back rigid, leaving him in the echoing silence of the house. As I drove to the office, my mind raced. The emptiness of the house, Bryant's smug face, Cole' s absence. It was a potent cocktail of regret and despair.

I threw myself into work, a desperate distraction. Hours later, I returned home, the city lights blurring into streaks of color outside my car window. The house was dark, silent.

"Bryant?" I called out, a flicker of irritation.

No answer.

I walked into the living room. Buddy was curled up by the fireplace, whimpering. And there, on the coffee table, was a note.

"Had to go. Urgent business. Take care of Buddy. See you soon, Em."

My jaw clenched. He had left. Again. Just like he always did. Leaving me with the aftermath, the emptiness.

I picked up Buddy, stroking his head. He whined, nudging his nose into my neck. He missed Cole.

I missed Cole.

The phone rang. It was an unknown number.

I almost ignored it.

But something, some desperate, irrational hope, made me answer.

"Hello?"

A woman's voice, bright and melodic, filled my ear. "Is this Emily Collins?"

"Yes," I replied, my heart pounding.

"This is Elodie Aguirre. I'm a food critic here in Paris. I'm calling about Cole."

My breath hitched. Elodie. The name I had seen plastered across French culinary blogs, always next to Cole's. Her reviews of his new restaurant were fawning, glowing. They spoke of a connection, a shared passion.

"Cole?" I managed, my voice barely a whisper.

"Yes. He's doing wonderfully, Emily," Elodie said, her voice warm, almost intimate. "His restaurant, 'L'Âme du Chef,' is a sensation. We're celebrating its one-year anniversary tonight. He's happier than I've ever seen him."

Happier than I've ever seen him. The words were a dagger to my heart.

"I... I see," I said, my voice trembling.

"He asked me to call, actually," Elodie continued, oblivious to my pain. "He wanted me to let you know that the divorce papers went through. It's final, Emily."

The papers. The ones I had sent, hoping, foolishly, that he would fight. That he would come back.

"He also wanted me to wish you well," she added, a hint of something in her voice I couldn't quite place. Pity? Triumph?

"Thank you, Elodie," I said, my voice cracking.

"Goodbye, Emily."

The line went dead.

I stood there, the phone pressed to my ear, the dial tone a mocking chorus. It was final. The last thread, severed.

He was happy. Without me. With her.

And I was left with the ashes of my mistakes, a hollow house, and a broken heart that was finally, irrevocably, mine.

I closed my eyes, a single tear tracing a path down my cheek. It was a painful echo, because Cole used to care for me just like that.